How Long Do You Typically Keep Equipment Before Selling?

[Easton Morgan]

hi,
How long do you typically keep a piece of heavy equipment before deciding to sell or trade it in? For example, I have a machine in my fleet that's getting up there in hours, and I'm debating whether it's smarter to keep maintaining it or sell while it still has strong resale value. Do you usually base the decision on hours, repair costs, age, or overall reliability?

 

[Lucciano M.]

Usually it comes down to reliability, downtime, and whether repair costs are starting to eat into profits. If a machine still starts every morning, stays productive, and maintenance costs are predictable, many people keep running it.

 

[Kizzy Klozenberg]

That's pretty much how I look at it too. Once repair bills and downtime start becoming less predictable, I usually start thinking about selling while the machine still has decent resale value instead of waiting for a major failure.

 

[Felipe Rances]

Reliability matters more than age.

 

[heavydutyAlex]

I agree, reliability is usually the biggest factor. One tip is to track repair costs and downtime over the last 12 months; if those numbers start climbing faster than the machine is earning, it might be time to sell before resale value drops. Keeping detailed maintenance records can also help you get a better price when it's time to move it.